Sample Research Paper

 Scientific invention for the future good or bad ? With Reference to ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and ‘Frankenstein’

Abstract :-

Towards the end of the 19th century, the portrayal of science in literature became more frequent than before; science has been progressing and it began to spark the interest of the readers of fiction. Supernatural elements in stories have been ascribed to scientists and experiments rather than God and miracles. However, since science still covered much of the unknown and inexplicable, the characters of scientists have occasionally been given almost godlike powers, thus prompting the readers to consider the question of morality. The scientist characters in both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have initially been successful with their scientific experiments and achieved groundbreaking discoveries, but have ultimately been punished for having gone too far with their experiments on humanity. Both of them also use science to project their evil side into creatures separate from themselves; either by separating their evil alter-ego from their ‘natural’ self, or by creating a whole new creature and projecting their negative traits onto him.

Keywords:- Science, Fear,Degeneration, Uncontrolled Creativity, Disadvantages of Technology

Introduction:-

      Scientific research can change our lives for the better, but it also presents risks either through deliberate misuse or accident. Think about studying deadly pathogens; that’s how we can learn how to successfully ward them off. Science is the system of systematic knowledge based on facts and human experiences.

       These works move from the first decades of the century, when electricity and chemistry dominated the progress made, to the end of this century also we get biology and psychology that were scientific forerunners. Thus, Anne K. Mellor talks about how Shelley founded Frankenstein’s venture to form a man “on the most advanced scientific research of the early nineteenth century", i.e. chemistry and electricity (305). 

       In Frankenstein, Shelley explores the fears created by seemingly limitless possibilities recently offered to scientists. Shelley also Introduces with her character Victor Frankenstein given the idea that, for the sections of the scientific community, morality and forethought are of little importance. Major theme in Frankenstein “relies upon and even exploits public anxieties about scientific progress and about the direction of this progress if undertaken in the absence of moral guidance. (242)

         A similar point provides the major theme in ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. In this novella in addition to trening humanity, degeneration also puts modern society as such at risk. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Dr. Jekyll created a potion because he has a lot of evil emotions inside him but he does not release them when he is Jekyll. Jekyll is liked by everyone he knows but he has no way to express his negative emotions. Hyde becomes Jekyll’s outlet to those emotions. And all are possible because of creating a potion and Jekyll takes it and after it and after he becomes Hyde. So we can see in the end that he also died because of potion. What he created to release his emotions. 

           So, The aim of this essay is to show the changeable role of science in Frankenstein, The strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, how scientific progress can constitute a friend as well as afoe and that the direction is decided by the human factor. 

Science and Fear of Uncontrolled creativity in Frankenstein :- 

        The first chapter will talk about how it awakens the fear of uncontrolled creativity. We can see the fear in Mary Shelley’s portrait of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist taking full advantage of the potential of science to create a life without reflecting over the moral or social consequences. Frankenstein seems to have lost all his initial good intentions to use science to benefit humankind. Frankenstein finds the means to create life in new science. Especially electricity and chemistry provide scientific resources to Frankenstein’s work in realising his visiar. He was introduced to those new fields by a family friend who later became violent.  

       A slave to the thrill that Frankenstein does not allow himself himself to pause during the creation of his being. And lastly it became very dangerous for him. Frankenstein creates a creation of a being that might be described as a monster. The string of killings his family makes (monster) Frankenstein start to realise his guilt. He created a being that kills almost everyone he cares so, he feels he “had no right to share their intercourse…he had unchained an enemy among them.”

Science and Fear of Degeneration in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll andMr. Hyde :- 

                      In this chapter we will analyse Dr. Jekyll’s motive for using science; Dr. Jekyll also makes use of science and his intentions, resembling those of Frankenstein’s, can in fact also wecan seen as initially good. Jekyll talks about how he and all humans have a particular split personality, one side is good and the other side is bad. He also claims that “man is not truly one, but truly two.”

             The idea of separating the good and bad elements in a person is the truth that an evil creature must come into being contrast (different) from the good one. Jekyll “begins with good intentions, but his project(potion) is internally contradictory: Frankenstein tries to become the benefactor of his race by turning his back on it, while Jekyll and wishes to rid himself of shameful secrecy by secret means" (145) The risks connected with Jekyll’s experiment are also highlighted by the theories of evolutionary psychologist James Sully. He suggested that Jekyll's experiment is risky since it aims at transforming the human mind, the weakest part of humans "since it has been recently acquired"(Henderson 106). From this concept we can also remark that he also reveal directly but he choose different way to create a potion threw the potion he change into Mr. Hyde and does bad behaviour. But at last it became the reason for his death. Hyde's violent nature makes him infamous also. In this case Dr. Jekyll's strange behaviour makes Lanyon (His Friend) doubt and he fears that Jekyll is suffering from the brain disorder. 

               The ever-lasting struggle between Jekyll and Hyde goes to show how Jekyll has failed in reaching his goal. Since Dr. Jekyll is unsuccessful in creating two opposite beings, one entirely evil and the other entirely good. 

Disadvantages between both scientific fiction :- 

                   In 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' and 'Frankenstein' two themes are very prominent. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Jekyll created a potion (Medicine powder) which turns him into what he learns from Mr Hyde. Jekyll doesn't want (intend) to drink that potion that he created but his curiosity towards potion consumes him. 

               In 'Frankenstein' after getting an education, Victor wonders if he can create life and he also was very curious about creating a life and he did not stop thinking about that. 

               In both texts we can find the similarity that both are scientific fiction. And in both texts we learn that the use of scientific things can sometimes become dangerous for human life. No doubt science is also very important and useful for humans but it also becomes dangerous. That we learn from both fiction. 

Conclusion :- 

                We learn from both fiction that the role of science in these works is changeable and constitutes both a friend and an enemy, depending on the motives of protagonists. Victor in Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll explores science selfishly and without thinking, creating fear of uncontrollable speculation as well as unpredictable degeneration. 

              Victor Frankenstein's scientific obsession results in an isolated, mad scientist and a dangerous creature, hungry for revenge. The violent and hateful, dirty Mr. Hyde, a symbol of primitive backlash, is the outcome of Dr. Jekyll's scientific venture. Frankenstein might be seen as positioning himself as both God and nature when he forms his creature, Dr. Jekyll might be seen as ignoring God and contesting nature when he uses science. 

              We also not denied that science and technology have advantages also. It will make our life easier. We can learn many things from lots of digital tools that are also inventions of science and technology. But nowadays we also learn the bigger disadvantages of science and technology because of the spread of coronavirus. It also spread because of many technical tools and things. So we last point out the fact that science has advantages and disadvantages also. This all depends on humans what they do with it.    

References : 

Baldick, Chris. In Frankenstein's Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-century Writing. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987.

Hendershot, Cyndy. The Animal Witbin: Masculinity and the Gothic. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1998.

Lisa, Jacobson. The Changing Role of Science in Frankenstein,The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,and Dracula (Research Paper), Linkoping University, Department of Culture and Communication English

Mellor, Anne K. "Frankenstein: A Feminist Critique of Science." In Levine, 287-312.

Punter, David. The Literature of Terror: A History of Gothic Fictions from 1765 to the present day. London and New York: Long man, 1980. 

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. 1818. Rev. ed.1831. London: Penguin Classics, 2003. 

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror. 1886. London: Penguin Classics, 2003.